L 


KMI.M!  August  18,  1910. 


=  U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 


BUREAU  OFANjaUl  INDUSTRY.-CiRCiJLAR  1o3. 

A.  IX  MKLVIN,  CHIBF  OP  BUREAU. 


HE  REGENERATION  OF  THE  MORGAN 
HORSE 


BY 


GEORGE  M.  ROMMEL, 

Chief  of  the  Animal  Husbandry  Division, 
Hnreau  of  Animal  Industry. 


t 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING   OFFICE. 


1910. 


'tfwss^  -  - 

University  of  California 

Southern  Regional 

Library  Facility 


THE  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 


Chief:  A.  D.  MELVIX. 
Assistant  Chief:  A.  M.  FARRINGTON. 
Chief  Clerk:  CHARLES  C.  CARROLL. 

Animal  Husbandry  Division:  GEORGE  M.  ROMMEL,  chief. 
Biochemic  Division:  M.  DORSET,  chief. 
Dairy  Division:  B.  H.  RAWL,  chief. 

Inspection  Division:  RICE  P.  STEDDOM,  chief;  MORRIS  WOODEN,  R.  A.  RAMSAY,  and 
ALBERT  E.  BEHNKE,  associate  chiefs. 
Pathological  Division:  JOHN  R.  MOHLER,  chief. 
Quarantine  Division:  RICHARD  W.  HICKMAN,  chief. 
Zoological  Division:  B.  H.  RANSOM,  chief. 
Experiment  Station:  E.  C.  SCHROEDER,  superintendent. 
Editor:  JAMES  M.  PICKENS. 

[Cir.  163]  (2) 

51335°— 10 


THE  REGENERATION  OF  THE  MORGAN  HORSE.0 


INTRODUCTION. 

Of  the  three  types  of  light  horses  which  American  breeders  have 
developed  during  a  century  and  a  quarter,  none  stands  higher  in 
history,  judged  from  the  interest  and  affection  which  have  been 
devoted  to  it,  none  has  had  a  more  direct  and  lasting  influence  on 
other  types,  none,  in  fact,  has  been  more  uniform  in  type,  more 
prepotent  in  breeding,  or  more  nearly  a  fixed  breed  than  the  Morgan 
horse. 

With  an  ancestry  which  must  have  been  of  the  highest  merit, 
reared  on  the  limestone  and  granite  hills  of  New  England,  imbued 
with  remarkable  endurance  and  stamina  by  a  rigorous  but  invigor- 
ating climate,  these  little  horses  seventy-five  years  ago  yielded  to 
none  in  popularity  and  held  first  place  in  the  actual  money  value 
placed  on  individuals  and  on  the  service  fees  of  sires.  Fifty  years 
ago  Morgan  stallions  were  received  in  the  show  rings  of  Kentucky 
with  enthusiasm.  Yet  during  the  last  twenty  years  the  name  of 
Morgan  has  been  anathema  among  the  horse  breeders  of  Kentucky, 
the  breed  has  been  rarely  seen  in  the  show  ring  at  state  and  national 
fairs,  and  the  live-stock  press  and  many  horsemen  of  authority  have 
declared  the  Morgan  to  be  an  extinct  race. 

CAUSES  OF  THE  DECLINE  OF  THE  MORGAN  HORSE. 

The  causes  of  this  remarkable  decline  in  a  breed  of  horses  of  out- 
standing merit  are  not  difficult  to  discover.  Up  to  the  time  that 
the  mania  for  breeding  extreme  speed  in  harness  horses  manifested 
itself,  the  qualities  of  conformation,  style,  and  endurance  which  the 
Morgan  possessed  were  generally  appreciated,  and  it  was  recognized 
that  in  the  long  run  those  qualities  were  worth  more  money  than 
speed  records.  With  the  track  records  of  Ethan  Allen  and  Daniel 
Lambert  before  them,  however,  Morgan  breeders  began  to  think 
that  the  Morgan  could  be  made  a  race  horse,  and  the  speed  craze 
struck  them.  The  decline  of  the  Morgan  horse  may  be  dated  from 
this  time.  It  was  indeed  unfortunate  that  the  old-time  Morgan 
breeders  did  not  follow  the  advice  of  Linsley  in  his  book  on  Morgan 

a  Thia  circular  is  based  on  an  address  delivered  before  the  Connecticut  Valley 
Breeders'  Association  at  Northampton,  Mass.,  January  25,  1910. 
[Cir.  163]  (3) 


horses,  published  in  1857.°  He  foresaw  with  true  intuition  what 
would  happen  if  Morgan  breeders  set  up  a  speed  standard.  These 
were  his  words  on  this  subject: 

There  are  some  breeders  of  Morgan  horses  who,  although  they  will  not  breed  from 
animals  decidedly  inferior  in  form,  merely  because  they  may  happen  to  be  fast,  are 
yet  inclined  to  lay  too  much  stress  upon  great  speed — a  good  quality,  but  one  which 
we  think  is  often  purchased  at  the  expense  of  qualities  even  more  valuable. 

If  animals  are  selected  for  breeding  which  can  make  the  best  time  for  a  mile,  we 
think  the  tendency  will  be  to  depreciate  the  value  of  the  breed .  Bred  for  that  one  pur- 
pose, they  will  lose  some  of  their  compactness,  become  more  leggy  and  "rangy,"  and 
lack  the  stamina  of  the  true  Morgan.  The  general  business  qualities  of  the  Morgan 
are  what  give  him  his  great  value.  His  admirable  traveling  gait,  and  his  stoutness, 
courage,  and  endurance,  are  what  is  wanted  for  the  road.  It  is  not  wise,  therefore,  to 
attempt  to  make  him  the  fastest  horse  in  the  world,  for  in  doing  this  we  shall  be  very 
likely  to  lose  sight  of  qualities  far  more  important  than  the  ability  to  trot  a  mile  in 
2  minutes  30  seconds. 

This  is  exactly  what  happened,  although  even  Linsley  could 
hardly  have  foreseen  that  the  effect  would  be  almost  to  exterminate 
the  breed. 

When  the  especial  value  of  the  Hambletonian  and  George  Wilkes 
lines  for  speed  production  began  to  be  recognized,  Morgan  breeders 
resorted  to  crosses  with  them,  and  the  Morgan  soon  became  affected 
by  the  change  in  breeding  methods.  The  desire  for  greater  size  in 
the  Morgan  found  its  expression  in  similar  and  even  more  violent 
crosses.  As  a  result  we  have  the  Morgan  situation  of  to-day — a 
few  real  Morgans  fostered  by  breeders  who  were  loyal  to  breed 
standards  and  who  were  not  carried  away  by  the  fashion  of  the  hour, 
and  a  very  great  many  which  trace  to  Justin  Morgan  and  are  registered 
as  Morgans  but  are  Morgans  only  in  name.  Anyone  witnessing  the 
Morgan  exhibit  at  the  horse  show  of  the  Louisiana  Purchase  Expo- 
sition at  St.  Louis  in  1904  could  not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  this 
fact.  The  real  Morgan  was  there,  but  he  was  to  a  large  extent 
obscured  by  the  great  number  of  ungainly,  ill-assorted  horses  which 
were  in  type  more  Standardbred  than  anything  else,  but  which,  if 
entered  in  the  Standardbred  classes,  would  have  received  little 
attention  from  the  judges.6 

Following  up  the  unfortunate  effects  of  these  violent  and  ill-judged 
crosses,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  advocates  of  other  breeds  em- 
braced the  opportunity  to  deal  the  Morgan  serious  blows  whenever 
the  occasion  presented  itself,  nor  is  it  remarkable  that,  in  a  short 
space  of  time,  prejudices  arose  against  the  breed,  and,  as  has  before 
been  observed,  many  even  came  to  believe  that  no  such  thing  as  a 
Morgan  existed. 

a  Linsley,  D.  C.     Morgan  Horses.     Pp.  205-206.     New  York,  1857. 
&  Twenty-fourth  Annual  Report,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  II.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  p.  87. 
[Cir.  163] 


THE  VALUE  OF  MORGAN  BLOOD. 

The  great  value  in  which  the  breed  was  held  fifty  and  seventy-five 
years  ago  need  not  be  pointed  out  in  detail,  but  a  few  references  may 
be  permitted  to  show  that  this  value  was  an  actual  one  and  was 
admitted  by  horsemen  generally  before  breeders  went  speed-mad. 

One  of  the  editors  of  the  Louisville  (Ky.)  Journal,  who  made  a 
tour  of  the  Northern  States  in  1845,  made  these  statements  regarding 
the  Vermont  Morgans : 

There  is  no  doubt  whatever  of  this — that  the  breed  of  the  Morgan  horse  was  and  is 
now,  in  the  few  instances  where  it  can  be  found,  far  the  best  breed  of  horses  for  general 
use  that  ever  was  in  the  United  States — probably  the  best  in  the  world;  and  it  is  remark- 
able that  this  breed  was,  and  is  now,  known  by  many  striking  peculiarities,  common  to 
nearly  every  individual/' 

A  quotation  from  the  American  Farmers'  Encyclopedia,  published 
in  1844  in  Philadelphia,  runs  as  follows: 

Perhaps  the  very  finest  breed  of  horses  in  the  United  States,  when  general  useful- 
ness is  taken  into  consideration,  is  what  is  commonly  known  in  the  Northern  and 
Eastern  States  as  the  Morgan  horse.b 

At  the  United  States  Agricultural  Society's  fair,  held  at  Boston  in 
October,  1855,  the  following  honors  were  secured  by  Morgan  horses 
out  of  a  total  entry  of  423  animals.0  Three  premiums  offered  for 
"roadster"  stallions  all  went  to  horses  of  Morgan  descent.  Four  pre- 
miums were  offered  for  stallions  for  general  use,  4  years  old  and  over, 
all  of  which  went  to  Morgans.  Two  premiums  were  offered  for  stal- 
lions for  general  use,  3  years  old  and  under  4,  of  which  one  went  to 
a  Morgan.  Three  premiums  were  offered  for  stallions  for  general  use, 
1  year  old  and  under  2,  of  which  two  were  awarded  to  Morgans.  Four 
premiums  were  offered  for  "breeding  mares  and  fillies,"  of  which  two 
were  won  by  Morgans.  Three  premiums  were  offered  for  fillies  3 
years  old,  of  which  a  Morgan  received  one.  Only  one  premium  was 
awarded  for  yearling  fillies,  and  that  went  to  a  Morgan.  Four  pre- 
miums were  offered  for  trotting  stallions,  three  of  which  went  to 
Morgans. 

The  exhibition  of  the  Morgan  stallion  Champion  Black  Hawk  j\t 
the  Florence,  Ky.,  fair  in  October,  1855,  caused  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable incidents  ever  seen  in  an  American  show  ring.  The  blue 
ribbon  for  best  stallion  4  years  old  and  over  had  been  tied  on  a 
dappled-gray  horse,  when  Black  Hawk  was  led  into  the  ring.  The 
crowd  immediately  began  to  shout,  "Take  the  ribbon  off  the  gray 
horse;  take  it  off."  Accordingly,  the  committee  did  so,  and  placed 
the  blue  ribbon  on  Black  Hawk.  Local  accounts  state  that  no  judg- 
ment of  the  committee  was  more  heartily  approved.** 

o  Linsley,  D.  ('.    Morgan  Horses.     New  York,  1857.    P.  83.        c  Ibid.,  pp.  85,  86. 
b  Ibid.,  p.  84.  <*  Ibid.,  pp.  86,  87. 

[Cir.  163] 


Hale's  Green  Mountain  was  given  the  highest  premium  at  the 
Louisville,  Ky.,  fair  in  1853  immediately  after  his  arrival  from  Ver- 
mont and  after  having  had  a  severe  ordeal  of  railroad  travel  and  pre- 
vious showing,*  in  a  day  when  conditions  of  travel  were  more  severe 
than  now. 

In  the  present  day  nothing  has  done  more  to  focus  attention  on  the 
value  of  the  Morgan  than  the  record  of  horses  of  Morgan  type  and 
breeding  in  our  show  rings.  In  Kentucky  the  descendants  of  Blood's 
Black  Hawk,  Stockbridge  Chief,  and  others  are  among  the  most  val- 
ued horses  found,  and  fully  10  per  cent  of  all  horses  registered  in  the 
first  two  volumes  of  the  American  Saddle  Horse  Register  trace  in 
direct  male  line  to  Justin  Morgan.  Such  horses  as  Drummer  Boy, 
Blaze  o'Glory,  Glorious  Red  Cloud,  Glorious  Whirling  Cloud  (Don 
Edwood  27131  A.  T.  R.),  Glorious  Thundercloud  (Carmon  32917 
A.  T.  R.),  and  Lord  Baltimore  are  known  to  carry  Morgan  blood  in 
their  veins,  and  an  examination  of  the  breeding  of  the  carriage  horses 
of  American  breeding  seen  in  our  show  rings  will  almost  invariably 
show  Morgan  crosses. b 

Against  all  the  pressure  which  has  been  driving  the  Morgan  out  of 
existence,  the  intrinsic  merit  of  the  breed  has  stood  out  in  sufficient 
strength  to  make  possible  its  regeneration  if  wise  and  broad-minded 
policies  are  adopted. 

It  is  a  matter  for  congratulation  that  the  decline  of  the  Morgan 
has  been  checked  and  that  measures  are  now  under  way  which,  if 
wisely  conducted,  will  in  time  firmly  establish  the  breed  beyond  pos- 
sibility of  extinction.  Too  much  credit  can  hardly  be  given  the  men 
who  have  preserved  the  type  and  the  blood,  giving  us  thereby  the 
material  from  which  to  develop  the  modern  Morgan. 

THE  MORGAN  OF  HISTORY. 

Before  discussing  the  best  methods  to  adopt  to  restore  the  Morgan 
breed  and  place  it  on  a  firm  foundation,  we  should  consider  briefly 
some  of  the  salient  points  in  its  history,  so  as  to  learn,  first,  what  the 
ancient  Morgan  type  was  like,  and,  second,  what  of  its  characteristics 
are  worth  preservation  as  being  suitable  for  modern  requirements. 

For  information  concerning  the  ancient  Morgan  type  there  is  no 
authority  higher  than  D.  C.  Linsley.  In  an  exceedingly  painstaking 
and  thorough  manner  Linsley,  over  fifty  years  ago,  made  a  study  of 
Morgan  history  and  pedigrees,  which  is  to  this  day  the  standard 
authority  on  the  history  of  the  breed  up  to  the  time  of  its  publication 
in  the  year  1857.  No  one  can  claim  to  be  an  authority  on  the  breed 

a  Linsley,  D.  C.    Morgan  Horses.    New  York,  1857.    P.  87. 

&  See  Twenty-fourth  Annual  Report,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry,  U.S.  Department 
of  Agriculture. 
[Cir.  163] 


without  having  mastered  Linsley's  volume;  and  without  Linsley  as  the 
pioneer,  Battell's  great  work  would  have  been  well-nigh  impossible 
of  achievement.  Linsley's  "Morgan  Horses"  is,  indeed,  "the  Mor- 
gan Bible."  Therefore  it  is  largely  to  its  pages  that  we  turn  to  learn 
the  characteristics  of  the  Morgan  of  the  early  day. 

THE   JUSTIN    MORGAN    HORSE. 

Linsley's  description  of  the  original  Justin  Morgan  is  extremely 
important  in  view  of  the  fact  that  many  persons  believe  that  the 
regeneration  of  the  Morgan  breed  at  this  time  should  have  as  its  basic 
motive  the  restoration  of  the  ancient  Morgan  type,  which  means,  on 
final  analysis,  that  the  ultimate  aim  of  the  movement  is  to  make  all 
Morgan  horses  conform  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  type  of  the  origi- 
nal Justin  Morgan. 

The  following  somewhat  lengthy  quotation  is  taken  from  Linsley's 
chapter  on  "Memoir  and  Description  of  the  Justin  Morgan:"0 

The  original,  or  Justin  Morgan,  was  about  14  hands  high  and  weighed  about  950 
pounds.  His  color  was  dark  bay,  with  black  legs,  mane,  and  tail.  He  had  no  white 
hairs  on  him.  His  mane  and  tail  were  coarse  and  heavy,  but  not  so  massive  as  has 
been  sometimes  described;  the  hair  of  both  was  straight  and  not  inclined  to  curl. 
His  head  was  good,  not  extremely  small,  but  lean  and  bony,  the  face  straight,  forehead 
broad,  ears  small  and  very  fine,  but  set  rather  wide  apart.  His  eyes  were  medium 
size,  very  dark  and  prominent,  with  a  spirited  but  pleasant  expression,  and  showed 
no  white  around  the  edge  of  the  lid.  His  nostrils  were  very  large,  the  muzzle  small, 
and  the  lips  close  and  firm.  His  back  and  legs  were  perhaps  his  most  noticeable 
points.  The  former  was  very  short;  the  shoulder  blades  and  hip  bones  being  very 
long  and  oblique,  and  the  loins  exceedingly  broad  and  muscular.  His  body  was  rather 
long,  round  and  deep,  close  ribbed  up;  chest  deep  and  wide,  with  the  breastbone 
projecting  a  good  deal  in  front.  His  legs  were  short,  close  jointed,  thin,  but  very  wide, 
hard  and  free  from  meat,  with  muscles  that  were  remarkably  large  for  a  horse  of  his 
size,  and  this  superabundance  of  muscle  exhibited  itself  at  every  step.  His  hair  was 
short,  and  at  almost  all  seasons  soft  and  glossy.  He  had  a  little  long  hah-  about  the 
fetlocks,  and  for  2  or  3  inches  above  the  fetlock  on  the  back  side  of  the  legs;  the  rest 
of  the  limbs  were  entirely  free  from  it.  His  feet  were  small  but  well  shaped,  and  he 
was  in  every  respect  perfectly  sound  and  free  from  any  sort  of  blemish.  He  was  a 
very  fast  walker.  In  trotting  his  gait  was  low  and  smooth  and  his  step  short  and 
nervous.  He  was  not  what  in  these  days  would  be  called  fast,  and  we  think  it  doubtful 
whether  he  could  trot  a  mile  much,  if  any,  within  four  minutes,  though  it  is  claimed 
by  many  that  he  could  trot  it  in  three. 

Although  he  raised  his  feet  but  little,  he  never  stumbled.  His  proud,  bold,  and 
fearless  style  of  movement  and  his  vigorous,  untiring  action  liavc,  perhaps,  nev.  r  IM-.-H 
surpassed.  When  a  rider  was  on  him  he  wan  obedient  to  the  slightest  motion  of  the 
rein;  would  walk  backwards  rapidly  under  a  gentle  pressure  of  the  bit  and  moved 
sideways  almost  as  willingly  as  he  moved  forward;  in  short,  was  perfectly  Irainc.l  t.» 
all  the  paces  and  evolutions  of  a  parade  horse;  and  when  ridden  at  military  reviews 
(as  was  frequently  the  case),  his  bold,  imposing  style  and  spirited,  nervous  action 
attracted  universal  attention  and  admiration.  He  was  perfectly  gentle  and  kind  to 
handle  and  loved  to  be  groomed  and  caressed,  but  he  disliked  to  have  children  about 

«  Linsley,  D.  C.    Morgan  Horses.     New  York,  1857.     Pp.  131-143. 
[Cir.  10.".] 


8 

him  and  had  an  inveterate  hatred  for  dogs — if  loose,  always  chasing  them  out  of  sight 
the  instant  he  saw  them. 

When  taken  out  with  halter  or  bridle  he  was  in  constant  motion  and  very  playful. 
He  was  a  fleet  runner  at  short  distances.  *  *  * 

Among  many  races  of  this  description  that  he  ran  were  two,  in  1796,  at  Brookfield, 
Vt.,  one  with  a  horse  called  Sweepstakes,  from  Long  Island,  and  the  other  with  a 
horse  called  Silver  Tail,  from  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  Both  of  these  he  heat 
with  ease.  Mr.. Morgan  (who  then  owned  him)  offered  to  give  the  owner  of  Silver 
Tail  two  more  chances  to  win  the  stake,  which  was  $50,  by  walking  or  trotting  the 
horses  for  it,  which  was  declined.  *  *  * 

In  harness  the  Justin  Morgan  was  quiet  but  full  of  spirit,  an  eager  and  nimble 
traveler  but  patient  in  bad  spots;  and  although  for  a  long  time  steadily  engaged  in 


FIG.  1.— The  original  Justin  Morgan.    (From  Linsley's  "Morgan  Horses.") 

the  heavy  work  of  a  new  farm,  his  owner  at  that  time  informs  us  that  he  never  knew 
him  refuse  to  draw  as  often  as  he  was  required  to,  but,  he  pithily  adds:  "I  didn't 
very  often  have  to  ask  him  but  once,  for  whatever  he  was  hitched  to  generally  had 
co  come  the  first  time  trying."  This  uniform  kindness  at  a  pull  was  one  of  the  striking 
characteristics  of  the  horse,  and  the  same  trait  may  be  observed  in  the  greater  part 
of  his  descendants.  "Pulling  matches"  and  "pulling  bees"  were  as  common  in 
those  days  as  short  races,  and  the  "little  horse,"  as  he  was  often  called,  became  quite 
celebrated  for  his  unvarying  willingness  to  do  his  best  and  for  his  great  power  at 
what  is  called  a  "dead  lift."  *  *  * 

The  quietness  and  exceedingly  pleasant  temper  of  the  Justin  Morgan  is  strikingly 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  he  was  often  ridden  and  driven  by  ladies.     A  lady  of  St. 
[Cir.  163] 


Johnsbury  once  told  us  she  remembered  his  appearance  perfectly  and  had  repeatedly 
ridden  him,  when  a  girl,  to  balls  and  other  parties,  and  spoke  with  much  enthusiasm 
of  his  noble  appearance,  his  high  spirit,  and  perfect  docility. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  obtain  accurate  information  respecting  the  changes 
in  owners  that  occurred  to  the  horse  at  different  times.  To  account  for  this  uncer- 
tainty, we  must  consider  that,  his  fame  has  been  almost  entirely  posthumous:  that 
although  the  champion  of  his  neighborhood,  he  was  little  valued  on  account  of  his 
small  size;  and  it  was  not  until  after  his  death  and  his  descendants  were  exhibiting 
the  powers  of  their  sire,  in  speed,  strength,  and  endurance  in  almost  every  village 
in  eastern  Vermont,  that  people  began  to  realize  they  had  not  properly  appreciated 
him.  *  *  * 

At  29  years  of  age,  no  cause  need  be  assigned  for  his  death  but  the  ravages  of  time 
and  the  usual  infirmities  of  years;  but  old  age  was  not  the  immediate  cause  of  his 
death.  He  was  not  stabled,  but  was  running  loose  in  an  open  yard  with  other  horses, 
and  received  a  kick  from  one  of  them  in  the  flank;  exposed  without  shelter  to  the 
inclemency  of  a  northern  winter,  inflammation  set  in  and  he  died.  Before  receiving 
the  hurt  which  caused  his  death  he  was  perfectly  sound  and  entirely  free  from  any 
description  of  blemish.  His  limbs  were  perfectly  smooth,  clean,  free  from  any 
swelling,  and  perfectly  limber  and  supple.  Those  persons  who  saw  him  in  1819  and 
1820  describe  his  appearance  as  remarkably  fresh  and  youthful.  Age  had  not  quenched 
his  spirit  nor  damped  the  ardor  of  his  temper;  years  of  severest  labor  had  not  sapped 
his  vigor  nor  broken  his  constitution;  his  eye  was  still  bright  and  his  step  firm  and 
elastic. 

Justin  Morgan's  good  qualities  were  transmitted  not  only  to  his 
sons  but  to  their  sons  and  grandsons  to  such  a  degree  that  where 
proper  matings  were  made,  according  to  the  type,  Linsley  found 
young  colts  that  closely  resembled  him  "in  all  respects  except  size, 
in  which  there  has  been  a  decided  increase."0 

The  horse  possessed  that  essential  qualification  of  a  great  sire — 
impressi veness.  His  blood  "bred  on,"  destined  to  found  a  family 
and  a  breed.  Such  'a  sire  was  Hambletonian,  such  was  George  Wilkes, 
such  were  Denmark  and  the  Darley  Arabian. 

THE    MORGAN    OF   LINSLEY's   DAY. 

The  Morgan  horse  of  Linsley's  time  was  far  more  common  than  the 
Morgan  of  to-day,  although  the  breed  was  even  then  beginning  to 
be  affected  by  the  tendencies  which  in  a  comparatively  short  time 
threatened  it  with  extinction.  The  small  size  of  the  original  Morgan 
was  undoubtedly  objectionable,  but,  in  Linsley's  opinion,  it  was 
being  improved  in  his  time.  He  gives  the  height  of  six  grandsons 
of  Justin  Morgan  as  ranging  from  13.3  to  15  hands,  with  weights 
varying  from  1,000  to  1,075  pounds,  and  states  that  'JJ  Morgan 
stallions  exhibited  at  the  I'nited  States  Agricultural  Society's  sho\v 
held  in  Boston  in  October,  1855,  averaged  1,040  pounds  in  weight. 
This  Linsley  regards  a>  a  fair  average  of  the  Morgans  of  his  time  and 
as  proof  that  the  size  of  the  breed  had  been  increased.6 

a  Linsley,  D.  C.     Morgan  Horses.     New  York,  1867.     P.  146.        &  Ibid.,  pp.  179, 180. 

[Cir.  lii.-.l 


10 

A  further  quotation  from  Linsley  on  the  size  of  Morgans  fifty  years 
ago  is  both  important  and  interesting.0 

The  average  height  of  Morgan  horses  may  be  stated  at  from  14  to  15i  hands.  There 
are  a  few  that  will  fall  below  14  hands,  but  the  number  is  very  small,  and  there  are 
also  some  that  will  exceed  15£  hands,  but  it  is  by  no  means  common,  and  in  such 
cases  it  will  generally  be  found  that  the  animal  has  but  a  small  amount  of  Morgan 
blood.  Their  weight  may  be  stated  to  range  from  900  to  1,100  pounds,  the  usual 
weight  being  about  1,000;  any  great  deviation  from  this  weight  should  induce  the 
suspicion  of  a  large  infusion  of  other  blood,  although  exceptions  may  and  doubtless 
do  occur,  in  the  case  of  animals  that  can  show  a  good  pedigree;  still  they  must  be 
considered  as  the  exception  to  the  rule,  and  not  the  rule  itself. 

BEST  METHODS  TO  REVIVE  THE  BREED. 

In  view  of  the  widespread  belief  that  the  Morgan  breed  should 
be  revived  and  made  once  more  an  important  factor  in  the  horse 
industry,  it  is  not  surprising  that  opinions  differ  as  to  the  best  methods 
to  adopt  for  this  purpose.  There  is  little  if  any  question  that  the 
revival  of  the  breed  can  be  accomplished;  enough  material  of  the 
type,  fixed  by  inheritance,  is  available  for  this.  The  question  seems 
to  be  whether  an  exact  revival  of  the  ancient  Justin  Morgan  type 
should  be  attempted,  or  whether  we  should  take  the  best  of  the 
ancient  type,  improve  it,  and  make  it  conform  as  closely  as  possible 
to  modern  requirements. 

SHOULD    THE    JUSTIN   MORGAN    TYPE    BE    ADOPTED  ? 

Let  us  consider  again  the  qualities  which  made  Justin  Morgan  and 
his  sons  famous.  A  further  reference  to  Linsley  shows  that  the 
qualities  of  Justin  Morgan  which  he  regarded  as  worth  preserving  are 
largely  the  qualities  that  make  the  Morgan  valuable  to-day,  and 
the  faults  which  the  horse  had  would  be  regarded  as  faults  to-day 
when  found  in  Morgans.  "His  compactness  of  form,  his  high  and 
generous  spirit,  combined  with  the  most  perfect  tractability;  his 
bony,  sinewy  limbs,  his  lofty  style,  and  easy  but  vigorous  action''6 
are  all  points  of  value.  Every  one  of  these  is  admitted  by  horsemen 
as  fundamental,  with  the  possible  exception  of  the  action,  on  which 
there  is  a  difference  of  opinion,  some  breeders  wanting  the  highest 
and  most  brilliant  action  possible  and  others  simply  "easy  but 
vigorous  action."  Justin  Morgan's  prepotency  as  a  sire  was  an  asset 
of  the  highest  value;  that  also  is  universally  regarded  as  fundamental 
in  a  sire. 

The  qualities  generalized  above  are,  in  the  writer's  opinion,  the 
qualities  of  Justin  Morgan  which  should  be  perpetuated  in  the  modern 
Morgan,  with  the  single  exception  that  the  writer  confesses  to  a  desire 
for  higher  and  more  brilliant  natural  action  than  had  the  original 

a  Linsley,  D.C.     Morgan  Horses.     New  York,  1857.     Pp.  70,  71.     &  Ibid.,  p.  146. 
[Cir.  103] 


11 

Morgan.  Linsley  asserts  that  although  Justin  Morgan  raised  his  feet 
but  little,  he  never  stumbled;0  nevertheless  he  recognizes  the  fact  that 
a  horse  that  was  very  low  in  action  was  likely  to  stumble,  and  remarks 
upon  the  sure-footedness  of  the  original  Justin  Morgan  in  spite  of 
this  handicap.  This  sure-footed  ness  is  a  present  Morgan  character- 
istic, but  one  can  not  be  certain  that  the  sure-footedness  will  always 
be  present  when  handicapped  by  very  low  action. 

Justin  Morgan  "had  a  little  long  hair  about  the  fetlocks  and  for 
2  or  3  inches  above  the  fetlocks  on  the  back  side  of  the  legs."  b  Linsley 
congratulates  the  Morgan  breeders  of  his  time  that  "the  present 
Morgans  have  not  so  much  of  the  long  hair  of  the  Justin  Morgan  on 
their  legs.  This  is  an  improvement,  as  the  long  hair  on  the  legs  is 
unsightly,  inconvenient,  and  in  no  sense  useful."0  One  still  sees  this 
peculiarity  occasionally,  but  no  case  comes  to  mind  where  a  Morgan 
which  has  it  is  more  highly  valued  on  that  account,  even  by  the 
most  enthusiastic  advocates  of  the  "ancient"  type. 

Linsley  also  explains  the  greater  size  of  Morgan  mares  in  districts 
remote  from  market  as  due  to  the  fact  that  buyers  had  not  reached 
such  localities  to  purchase  the  larger  mares.  He  deplores  the  fact 
that  farmers  allowed  themselves  to  be  tempted  by  high  offers  to  sell 
the  largest  mares. d 

That  we  should  adopt  the  original  "ancient"  Morgan  type  in  its 
entirety  seems  little  short  of  folly.  Linsley  himself  admitted  that 
Justin  Morgan  possessed  faults;  he  was  too  good,  a  horseman  to 
imagine  that  such  a  thing  as  an  absolutely  perfect  horse  ever  existed, 
and  he  warned  breeders  not  only  to  avoid  breed  faults,  but  by  intel- 
ligent breeding  to  improve  and  add  to  the  breed's  good  qualities. 

THE     IMPROVED     TYPE     MUST     CONFORM     TO    MARKET    REQUIREMENTS. 

The  writer  has  no  intention  of  drawing  a  ridiculous  picture  of  the 
original  Morgan  horse.  He  merely  desires  to  point  out  the  mistake 
which  would  occur  if  well-meaning  people  succeed  in  perpetuating 
manifest  faults.  Justin  Morgan's  good  qualities  far  outweighed  his 
poor  ones,  yet  it  is  doubtful  if  a  competent  judge  would  consider  him 
in  a  modern  show  ring.  His  small  size,  the  hair  on  the  fetlocks,  and 
his  low  action  would  be  regarded  as  objectionable  by  any  fair- 
minded  critic.  It  is  no  discredit  to  the  horse  to  say  this.  He 
belonged  to  his  time  and  he  filled  his  niche.  It  was  by  his  pre- 
potency, his  influence  as  a  sire,  that  he  created  a  place  in  horse 
husbandry.  But  if  Justin  Morgan  were  reincarnated  to-day  he 
could  not  fill  this  place.  In  short,  the  blood  of  the  horse,  as  shown 
in  his  descendants,  is  greater  than  the  horse  himself,  and  the  story  of 

a  Linsley,  D.C.     Morgan  Horses.     New  York,  1857.     P.  132.     e  Ibid.,  p.  181. 
b  Ibid., ']>.  182.  ''Ibid.,  ]>.  208. 

[»Mr.  1C,",! 


12 

Justin  Morgan  is  a  repetition  of  that  of  almost  every  other  threat  sire 
known  to  the  breeders  of  live  stock. 

Let  us  illustrate  this  point  in  the  history  of  another  breed.  The 
Percherons  of  fifty  years  or  more  ago  were  mainly  quick-moving, 
light-draft  horses,  known  in  France  as  "diligence"  horses,  and  were 
largely  used  to  draw  stage  and  mail  coaches.  Indeed,  the  earliest 
American  writer  on  the  Percheron  horse  used  them  to  draw  heavy 
carriages.0  DuHays  himself  advocated  keeping  pure  the  three  types 
of  the  original  Percheron  horse — the  light-draft  type,  the  heavy-draft 
type,  and  the  intermediate  type.6  Yet  what  consideration  would  be 
shown  a  light-draft  Percheron,  or  even  one  of  the  intermediate  type,  in 
our  modern  show  rings  ?  The  improvement  of  the  breed  has  carried 
its  standard  as  a  draft  horse  far  beyond  that  of  its  progenitors.  Yet 
who  may  deny  the  debt  the  breed  owes  to  the  good  qualities  of 
those  progenitors? 

Again,  the  forebears  of  our  modern  Hereford  cattle  were  huge 
animals,  often  gray -faced  and  speckled-faced,  with  a  very  heavy 
forehand  and  light  hindquarters,  but  they  were  wonderful  grazers. 
The  type  was  one  which  would  cause  laughter  if  seen  in  a  modern 
show  ring,  but  who  doubts  that  the  remarkable  vitality  and  good 
grazing  qualities  of  the  modern  American  Hereford  are  due  to  inherit- 
ance from  the  now  obsolete  type  from  which  it  descended  ? 

It  is  so  in  breeding  live  stock  of  any  kind.  Improvement  must 
be  made,  or  the  breed  dies  out.  Breeders  must  set  for  their  ideals 
higher  standards  than  those  of  the  past  or  even  of  the  present,  or 
retrogression  is  inevitable.  Linsley  held  similar  views  and  counseled 
breeders  to  improve  their  Morgans.  At  the  time  he  wrote  he  says 
that  "it  can  hardly  be  questioned  that  a  general  improvement  has 
been  steadily  going  on  in  the  character  of  our  horses."  c 

Improvement  should  be  carried  out,  however,  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  good  qualities  may  be  retained  and  the  undesirable  ones  elimi- 
nated. To  adopt  size  in  Morgans  as  the  one  great  thing  to  be  obtained 
would  be  as  unwise  as  to  adopt  the  exact  type  of  Justin  Morgan 
or  to  set  up  extreme  speed  as  the  sole  standard.  Linsley,  referring 
to  this  subject,  recommends  that  the  Morgan  be  brought  up  to  the 
standard  of  size  which  he  set  forth  (14  to  15.2  hands,  weighing  from 
900  to  1,100  pounds),  but  not  at  the  sacrifice  of  any  of  the  valuable 
qualities  already  present. d 

The  improved  type  of  the  Morgan  horse  must  be  based  on  standard 
market  requirements  for  horses  known  in  our  show  rings  by  the 

°W.  T.  Walters,  of  Baltimore,  who  translated  Charles  DuIIays's  work  on  "The 
Percheron  Horse"  for  the  Orange  Judd  Company  in  1867. 
ft  See  Walter's  translation, 
c  Linsley,  D.  C.,  Morgan  Horses,  p.  182. 
<*Ibid.,  p.  214. 
[Cir.  163] 


13 

somewhat  misleading  term  of  "heavy-harness  horses."  This  does 
not  mean  a  draft  horse,  as  many  think,  but  may  be  roughly  defined 
as  a  horse  which  wears  the  heavy  harness  used  in  drawing  a  gig, 
phaeton,  victoria,  or  similar  vehicle,  as  distinguished  from  the  light 
harness  with  breast  strap  collar  used  in  drawing  a  road  wagon.  The 
type  is  a  horse  of  stylish  carriage,  good  length  of  neck,  sloping 
shoulders,  high  withers,  short,  close-coupled  back,  full  hips  and 
quarters,  high  set,  smartly  carried  tail,  and  round,  compact  con- 
formation, with  an  abundance  of  quality  and  finish  and  as  much 
natural  action,  endurance,  and  speed  as  possible;  the  action  at  the 
walk  should  be  rapid,  straight,  and  true,  and  nothing  but  pure 
trotting  action  should  be  tolerated,  without  the  least  tendency  to 
pace.  The  Morgan  should  not  under  any  circumstances  be  made  a 
race  horse;  that  experiment  was  tried  once,  and  should  now  be  con- 
sidered an  almost  disastrous  failure  and  the  incident  closed ;  but  the 
endurance  of  the  Morgan  and  his  ability  to  stand  driving  for  long 
distances  at  a  smart  pace  are  highly  desirable  qualities  and  should 
be  preserved.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  Morgan  will  ever  be  a  producer  of 
brougham  horses,  except  by  crossing. 

BREEDING   METHODS. 

The  methods  of  breeding  used  to  bring  about  the  regeneration  of 
the  Morgan  type  will  need  to  be  very  carefully  followed  with  regard 
to  an  increase  of  size.  In  the  Department's  work  at  the  Morgan 
Horse  Farm,  Middlebury,  Vt.,  the  brood  mares  average  15.0J  hands 
in  height  and  1,050  pounds  in  weight.  General  Gates,  the  leading 
stallion,  stands  14. 2£  a  hands  and  weighs  1,000  pounds  in  breeding 
condition;  his  4-year-old  son,  Red  Oak,  out  of  a  large  mare  of  excellent 
Morgan  breeding,  stands  15.0}  hands  and  weighs  1,000  pounds. 

At  this  time  it  would  appear  safest  to  advise  the  selection  of 
horses  of  Morgan  breeding  which  show  the  closest  conformity  to  the 
type,  and  to  rely  on  selection  to  increase  the  size.  The  Department 
has  tried  the  experiment  of  crossing  General  Gates  on  mares  of  Ken- 
tucky breeding  whose  dams  were  strong  in  Morgan  blood.  Thus  far 
the  results  have  been  highly  satisfactory,  but  the  experiment  has  not 
progressed  far  enough  to  enable  us  to  advise  breeders  to  make  such 
crosses.  As  a  rule,  the  average  breeder  can  not  afford  to  experiment 
with  out-crosses. 

Blood  lines  must  mean  type-producing  lines. — The  safest  standard 
for  a  breeder  to  adopt  is  to  confine  his  operations  as  far  as  possible 
to  Morgan  blood  lines,  rigidly  eliminating  every  animal  which  is 
not  of  Morgan  type,  or  which  is  unsound,  or  shows  the  slurhtrst 

a  Erroneously  reported  as  15  hands  in  Twenty-fourth  Annual  Report,  Bureau  of 
Animal  Industry,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 
[Cir.  1C3] 


14 

tendency  to  pace.  Blood  lines  can  not  yet  be  drawn  hard  and  fast 
in  Morgan  breeding.  We  must  select  type  first  of  all,  and  by  so 
selecting  we  will  with  each  succeeding  mating  intensify  the  type  and 
improve  the  pedigree.  If  the  Morgan  horse  is  to  be  regenerated, 
horses  must  be  bred,  not  pedigrees.  To  breed  horses  which  are  in 
themselves  good  requires  a  comprehensive  knowledge  of  horses  and 
much  more  than  average  ability  as  a  breeder;  almost  anyone  can 
breed  horses  of  good  pedigree  if  he  has  the  money  to  buy  his  founda- 


FIG.  2.— A  modern  Morgan.    Stallion  General  Gates  (666)  at  the  head  of  the  stud,  United  Slat* 
Horse  Farm,  Middlebury,  Vt. 


Morgan 


tion  animals.     The  test  of  the  worth  of  a  pedigree  is  the  animal  it 
produces.     It  follows,  therefore,  that  a  consideration  of  pedigree  by 
a  judge  in  the  show  ring  is  a  reductio  ad  absurdum. 
Approved : 

JAMES  WILSON, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  June  17,  1910. 

[Cir.  103  J 

o 


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